Why does trafficking happen? Human trafficking is driven by supply and demand. Lack of protection, poverty, a lack of access to employment and education, discrimination of minorities and cultural practices are all factors that make children and adults vulnerable to being exploited.
Mass displacement, conflict, extreme poverty, lack of access to education and job opportunities, violence and harmful social norms like child marriage are all factors that push individuals into situations of trafficking.
Among the notable facts about human trafficking in the US relating to these figures, the four states with the most cases of human trafficking: Florida, California, Texas, and New York, have the highest populations in the country.
Trafficking is used for a wide variety of purposes, such as domestic, agricultural or sweatshop labour, marriage and prostitution. Australia is a destination country for victims of trafficking, and evidence suggests the majority are women trafficked into debt-bonded prostitution.
Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological.
While the best-known form of human trafficking is for the purpose of sexual exploitation, hundreds of thousands of victims are trafficked for the purposes of forced labour, domestic servitude, child begging or the removal of their organs.
Traffickers are adept at identifying people with noticeable vulnerabilities or needs. They may scour specific locations such as bus stations, shelters, or local malls looking for someone without a safe place to stay or who they may be able to charm with their flattery and attention.
Identification documents are held by another. Person works long or excessive hours or is always available “on demand.” Overly sexual for age or situation. Multiple phones or social media accounts.
Children account for half of the victims of human trafficking. In fact, the average age that a young person becomes involved in sex trafficking is 12 years old.
A large proportion of victims identified are women, as human trafficking has generally been seen as a crime which affects mostly women. Over time, a higher percentage of men have been identified and it is acknowledged that men are also are vulnerable to human trafficking.
With an estimated 24.9 million victims worldwide at any given time, human traffickers prey on adults and children of all ages, backgrounds, and nationalities, exploiting them for their own profit.
Traffickers use force, fraud, or coercion to subject victims to engage in commercial sex or forced labor. Anyone can be a victim of trafficking anywhere, including in the United States. Force includes physical restraint, physical harm, sexual assault, and beatings.
Human trafficking usually consists of three stages. In the first stage, the victims are recruited; in the second, they are transported; and in the third, they are exploited. At the recruitment stage, criminals use many methods to force or trick people into being trafficked.
They may exhibit submissive behavior, such as poor posture, downcast eyes, lack of eye contact, lack of facial expressions, and may be easily startled. They may look to their trafficker to speak on their behalf, and may be unresponsive to attempts to communicate with them when they are alone.
Many sex traffickers lure victims by providing basic survival needs. They systematically provide distorted versions of higher needs to manipulate victims. Using threats, force and coercion, traffickers exploit the fact that, for many victims, “the life” may be their first experience of 'family' and belonging.
Trafficked women and girls encounter high rates of physical and sexual violence, including homicide and torture, psychological abuse, horrific work and living conditions, and extreme deprivation while in transit.
Some women and girls still manage to escape human trafficking on their own, finding ways to run and get help. Some ask for help when they've been arrested for sex work. Others will be able to send the occasional text message, email, or phone call.
Sex traffickers target children because of their vulnerability and gullibility, as well as the market demand for young victims. Those who recruit minors into prostitution violate federal anti-trafficking laws, even if there is no coercion or movement across state lines.
“The Super Bowl is the greatest show on Earth, but it also has an ugly underbelly,” former Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott told USA Today in 2011, “It's commonly known as the single largest human trafficking incident in the United States.”2 While the now-Texas governor's claim has been challenged, all major sporting ...
This recruitment can happen in public places such as malls or sporting events, as well as online, through social media sites, or through false advertisements or promises about job opportunities that might appeal to young people, such as modeling or acting.
“Participating is simple, just follow these easy steps: Wear something blue — the international color of human trafficking awareness — then take a photo and post it on social media using the hashtag #WearBlueDay,” the DHS website said. “Wearing blue on January 11, 2023, is proof that a little gesture can go a long way.